Floor structure



W. C. SMITH FLOOR STRUCTURE June 4, 145.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, l943 INVENTOR. WARD C.SM|TH ATTORNEYS FLOOR STRUCTURE W. (3. SMITH 2,401,587

Filed March 29, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Has.

INVENTOR.

WARD C.SMITH M m M '20 I I wal /(4% W ATTORNEYS Patented June 4, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOOR STRUCTURE Ward Clinton Smith, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Stout Houses, Incorporated, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan ApplicationMarch 29, 1943, Serial No. 481,001

4 Claims.

the. floor sections thereof are preferably in the form. of panels which are interlocked with suitable supporting stringers therefor.

Another object is to provide a flooring wherein the floor panels are preferably hollow and are adapted. to contain suitable insulating material.

Another object is to provide a flooring wherein the supporting stringers have means for determinin the position of the floor panels relative to each other and for urging adjacent panels together to provide tight joints therebetween.

Another object is to provide a flooring wherein the floor panels are mounted in such a way upon the supporting stringers that one set of fastening elements such as a screw and cooperating Washer will sufilceat each center of four of the floor panels to hold them in assembled relation. Another object is to provide a flooring that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and capable of being easily and quickly assembled by unskilled labor wherever desired. Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a floor structure embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View, with parts broken away and in section, of a pontion of the supporting means for the floor panels;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, with parts broken away and in section, of the'floor structure, including the floor panels and supporting means therefor;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom view of one of the floor panels.

Referring now to the drawings, A are the floor panels, and B, C and D respectively are the supperspective porting stringers of a floor structure embodying .my invention.

As shown, the floor panels A are substantially square-shape in plan and are arranged in edge to. edge relation to provide the flooring. Preferably each panel A is hollow so as to receive suitable material for insulating purposes and. has a laminated plywood top [0,. a laminated plywood bottom I I, and spacers l2. between and rigid with said top in and bottom H at the edges thereof.

In each instance the top I!) of each panel A is thicker and slightly larger in area than the bot.- tom l l thereof, and the. spacers l2:v are in the form of wooden strips disposed on. edge between with the edges of said top H] and bottom ll.

Preferably each spacer I2 is providedv throughout its length at the upper end of the] lower vertical face i3 with a downwardly opening groove [.5 so that the overhanging portion l6 of the spacer between said groove [5 andv the upper vertical face 53 constitutes a depending elongated tenon. I The supporting stringers B and C for the panels A are mounted upon cross Sills. 20., carried by sleepers 2t, and, are in. the form of Wooden strips having longitudinally extending grooves 22. of substantial V cross section in their upper edges for interlocking engagement with the tenons l6 of the panels A. As shown, the stringers B extend crosswise of the flooring, while. the stringers C extend lengthwise thereof so that the two sets of stringers will register with the spacers 12 at the longitudinal and transverse edges respectively of the panels. Preferably each groove 22 extends throughout the length of a stringer and is adapted to receive the tenons I6 of adjacent panels, as illustrated in Figure 2. In this connection it will be noted that the groove 22 and tenon IE arrangement is such that the tenons of adjacent panels will be urged against each other by opposite sides of the. groove 22 so that the tops ll! of adjacent panels will abut. in edge to, edge relation to provide a tight joint.

The supporting stringers D are also mounted upon sills 30 similar to the sills 20 but are adapted to be used at the margins or bordersof the flooring. Preferably each. stringer D is provided throughout its length. with a tongue 31 and groove 32 for interlocking engagement with. the grooves [5' and mnons [6 of the spacers I2 at the outer edges of the marginal panela stringers extending between rows.

like flooring is provided, and such assembly may be readily maintained by merely employing a screw 40 and washer 4| at each center of four of the panels. As the stringers B, C and D respectively and floor panels A are preformed when received at the building in which they are to be used, the assembly may be easily accomplished by unskilled laborby first laying the stringers in proper crossed 'relation upon the sills and in position to register with the spacers I2 at the,

having depending wedge-shapedtongues disposed in abutting face to face relation within the V- shaped grooves in said stringers, the cross sec- 'tongue and groove connections between the edges of the panels, then laying the panelsA upon the stringers to effect an interlocking'engagement between the tenons l6 and grooves 22 h and 32 respectively. The screws and washers may then be applied at each center of four of, the assembled panels to hold the parts in position. 7

As the panels are of parallelogram form,. they may be assembled in any number and will form aligned rows in transverse directions with the The edge strips of the panels are rabbeted in the lower portions thereof to receivethe stringers and the tenons depending from the upper portions of said strips are of wedge shaped cross section engaging correspondingly shaped grooves in the stringers. Thus, when assembled the lower portions of the panels abut against the stringers to the upper edge portions'of said panels into close contact with each other.

What I claim' as my invention is:

Y 1. A sectional flooring comprising a plurality of parallelogram panels arranged in edge to edge relation to extend the area in transverse directions, and separate supporting stringers between adjacent panels having V-shaped grooves in their upper edges and extending transversely in the.

same plane to intersect each other, each panel having spaced top and bottom plate-like portions,

the bottom portion being of smaller area than the top portion, and spacer strips for said top and bottom portions at the several edges of said panels, each of said strips being rabbeted to form a groove for receiving an edge of the groove in the supporting stringer and being .also fashioned to form a depending wedge-shaped tenon for engaging the V-shaped groove in the upper edge of the stringer whereby the engagement of said tenons with said grooves will force the upper edge portions of said panels into contact with each other and the lower edgeportions of said panels will abut against said stringer to reinforce and conceal the same.

1 2. A sectional flooring comprising a plurality ng an upwardly opening substantially V-shaped groove within and extending substantially throughout the length of its upper edge, the spacer strips at the meeting edges of said panels having grooves receivingthe adjacent sidewalls of the V-shaped grooves in said stringers and reinforce the same whilethe tenons by their wedge engagement with the stringers will draw 'tional formation of said V-shaped grooves and.

engaging tongues being such as to maintain the top portions of the floor panels in edge to edge relation over the adjacentspacer strips and to maintain the adjacent edges of the bottom portionsof the panels in abutting relation against opposite sides of the stringers, whereby the spacer strips and stringers are concealed.

3. A sectional flooring comprising a plurality of substantially flat floor panels arranged in edge to edge relation to extend the area in transverse directions, eachv floor panel having spaced top and bottom plate-like portions and spacer strips, at the several edges thereof, the bottom portion of each panel being of smaller area than the top portion thereof, separate. supporting stringers for-said panels extending transversely in the same plane to intersect each other, being located at the meeting edges of adjacent panels between said bottom portions, each stringer having an upwardly opening substantially V-s'haped groove within and extending substantially throughout the length of its upper edge, the

spacer strips at the meeting edges of said panels resting on the upper edges of the 'adjacent'side walls of the V -shaped grooves in saidstringers and having depending tongues disposed in'abutting face to face relation within the V-shaped grooves in said stringers, the cross sectional formation of said -V-"shaped grooves and engaging tongues being such as to maintain the topportions of the floor panels in edge to edge relation over the adjacent spacer strips and to maintain the adjacent edges of the bottomportionsof'said panels in abutting relation against opposite sides of said stringers, wherebythe tongue and groove connections between the spacer strips and stringers are reinforced and concealed.

, 4. A sectional flooring comprising a plurality of substantially flat floor panels arranged in edge to edge relation to extend the area in transverse directions, each floor panel having spaced top'and bottom plate-like portions andspacer strips at the several edges thereof, the bottom portion of each panel being of smaller area'than the top portion thereof, separate supporting stringers for said panels extending transversely in the same plane'to intersect each other, being located at the meeting edges thereof between said bottom portions, each stringer having anupwardly opening roove within and extending substantially throughout the length of its upper edge, the spacer strips at the meeting edgesrof' said panels having grooves receiving the adjacent side walls of the grooves in said stringers and having depending tongues arranged side by side within and substantially filling the grooves in said stringers, the cross sectional formation of the grooves in said stringers and the engaging tongues being such asto maintain the top portions of the fioor panels in edge to .edge relation over the adjacent spacer strips and to maintain theadjacent edges of the bottom portions of said panels in abutting relation'against opposite sidesof said stringers, whereby the tongue and groove connections between the spacer, strips and stringers are" concealed.

* I -WARD CLINTON SMITH; 1 

